Platter of besan ladoo

Besan ladoo

Name: Besan ladoo
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Makes 20 (serves 8)
Ingredients: 6 green cardamom pods; 100g icing sugar sieved; 50g unsalted cashews; 125g ghee (see tip, below); 200g gram flour sieved; ¼ tsp saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk; 1 tbsp chopped pistachios

Roopa Gulati

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Makes 20 (serves 8)

Easy

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 25 mins

plus cooling

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Try this classic Indian sweet at Diwali. Besan ladoo is made with nutty fried gram flour enriched with fragrant saffron, chopped cashews and homemade ghee

Gluten-free

Vegetarian

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Alternatives

Complete the dish

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Pistachio barfi

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.1 rating

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

6 green cardamom pods
100g icing sugar

sieved
50g unsalted cashews
125g ghee

(see tip, below)
200g gram flour

sieved
¼ tsp saffron

soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
1 tbsp chopped pistachios

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal333
fat21g
saturates10g
carbs28g
sugars13g
fibre3g
protein7g
salt0.01g

Method

step 1

Split the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Grind the seeds to a powder with 1 tsp of the icing sugar using a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
step 2

Heat a sturdy, small pan and roast the cashews over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until they pick up flecks of colour. Transfer to a chopping board, and once cooled, finely chop.
step 3

Melt the ghee in a wok or karahi over a low heat, add the sieved gram flour and fry, stirring all the time, until it darkens and releases a toasted aroma, about 15-20 mins. Stir in the toasted cashews and transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave until warm enough to handle.
step 4

Add the remaining sugar, ground cardamom and saffron with its soaking liquid. Knead the paste until smooth, then leave to cool to room temperature.
step 5

Shape the gram flour mixture into small balls (ladoos) with your hands, about 3 cm in diameter. Put them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. If the ladoos are a little soft, chill for 10 mins to firm up. To serve, press a few chopped pistachios into the top of each one. Will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 7-10 days.

RECIPE TIPS

HOMEMADE GHEE

Heat 250g unsalted butter in a small sturdy pan and cook over a low heat, without stirring, for 15-20 mins, or until the milk solids start to brown and the butter is golden. Turn the heat off and leave the pan undisturbed for a few minutes. Line a metal sieve with muslin or strong kitchen paper and place over a heatproof bowl. Pour over the melted butter, taking care to leave the browned milk solids in the pan. Leave the ghee for a few minutes to drip into the bowl, then pour it into a jar. Because ghee has no moisture or milk solids it will keep for 2-3 months at room temperature without spoiling, and can be stored in the fridge for extra longevity.

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